“Making girls muftias is empowerment. Once an alima (female graduate) completes fazila (post-graduation), she is eligible for the fatwa course”
HYDERABAD: Fatwa is a ruling given by highly religious Islamic Authorities on different controversial concepts.
Madrassa Jamiatul Mominath in Moghalpura, becomes the first institute to train women to become muftias.
“There are several questions that women hesitate to ask muftis. We thought women would be more comfortable discussing their issues with muftias. That’s why we introduced this one-year course 12 years ago,” said Hafiz Mastan Ali, Jamiatul Mominath’s founder.
Madrassa Jamiatul Mominath was set up in 1991 and has 2,500 students today.
The muftia course began with only five girls, but this year, the department is training 15.So far, the madrassa has produced 318 muftias.
The fatwa department’s head, Nazima Aziz, said making girls muftias is empowerment. “Once an alima (female graduate) completes fazila (post-graduation), she is eligible for the fatwa course.”
“Course is divided into five segments: prayers, women’s personal issues, limitations (what women can and can’t do), property issues and current issues. A fatwa is given in the light of Quran commandments and the Prophet’s traditions. Muftis try their best to be neutral while giving judgments on disputes. If someone is not satisfied with the decision, he or she can consult another mufti or muftia,” Aziz said.
Aziz and her students also backed the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB)’s stand on triple talaq. “Talaq in one sitting should be discouraged, but it cannot be banned as that will be tantamount to interference in sharia laws,” said Mohammed Hasnuddin, head of Mominath’s fatwa department for men.
“We don’t agree that talaq is a sword dangling over the heads of women. It’s an option to end an oppressive marriage and should be used as last resort.”